2018 Early Redraft Mock Draft 3.0

Welcome back everyone! The mock draft specialists at Redraft Football Factory bring you the third installment of the PPR Mock Draft series. This month, the draft expanded to five rounds for the first time this year. Moving forward, the Redraft team will add another round each month to give you a more in-depth mock draft experience. This will lead up to the grand finale in August: a 10 round, 12 team, PPR mock draft full of breakout candidates, sleepers and must-haves for your team. From this point forward, you’ll notice a plus, minus, or 0 figure after each selection. This represents that player’s movement in draft position from our previous mock draft. The N/R stands for a player that wasn’t selected in the previous mock draft.

-Michael Thomas has been selected in the same draft slot (#12) in all three mock drafts.

-Only one rookie (Saquon Barkley) was selected for the second straight mock.

-Only two quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, were selected in this draft.

Check back with us next month for version four of the series, where we expand to six rounds. Without further ado, here we go.

First Round:

Jerry –Le’Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (+1)

His wallet is the one that says Bad Motherf***** on it.

Kyle – Todd Gurley, RB, LA Rams (-1)

I don’t believe that Gurley is the far and away #1 player overall, but couldn’t pass him up at number two. There are very few question marks, and with his involvement in the passing game increasing in 2017, I think he belongs in the RB1 discussion, regardless of format.

Matt – Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (+1)

I’m a huge David Johnson fan and thought about taking him in this spot, but I think Antonio Brown is the play here. There’s the possibility that I’ve turned down too many opportunities with the RB workload on top of the targets, but I’m worried about Arizona’s situation overall. In Brown, I have a guy who’s averaged 8.3 games a year inside the top twelve over the past three years. Combine WR1 and WR2 weeks and you’re good for 10.6 weeks a year. I’ll take that consistency at the top of the first round.

Jeremy – David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals (+1)

This was a toss-up for me between DJ and Ezekiel Elliott. Tough call for sure, yet it’s pretty simple at the same time. Either elite back will do here in the top-5. It’s kinda like choosing a date between Sofia Vergara and Scarlett Johansson. Would you blame me for picking either?? Didn’t think so. Not to mention, I got a good feeling about the Cardinals’ offense in 2018…

Johnny – Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys (-2)

This is why I love the 5th pick overall this year! K.I.S.S. method, keep it stupid simple. I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me to get a back of his caliber. I was anticipating taking either David Johnson or a wide receiver with this pick but it worked out even better than I could have hoped.

Aaron – DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans (0)

I’m usually all about taking running backs at the top of the draft, but all of the elite running backs have been taken. There are a few nice options on the board with Hunt and Kamara, but as great as they were in their rookie seasons, I still feel they are second-tier running backs right now. I’ll take Hopkins, who is coming off a consistent season and should be even better with the return of Deshaun Watson. I don’t think anybody would be shocked if Hopkins finished 2018 as the top overall receiver.

Jay – Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants (0)

I believe in the saying “you can’t win your league in the first two rounds, but you can lose it.” With that said, I think Odell is the last top-tier player left on the board. He’s got the floor, the upside, and most importantly the track record. Excluding last year, he’s finished as WR7, WR5, and WR4 from 2014-2016. Set it and forget it with this stud.

Stephen – Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (0)

At the mid-point of the first round, I’m happy to lockdown a top five or six running back with the potential for even more with Pat Mahomes now under center in Kansas City. Another 300+ touch season should be in the cards in Hunt’s sophomore season.

Michael – Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints (0)

I’m excited to see what Kamara can do in his second year. He has highest ceiling of all remaining backs on the board and a very solid floor from what we saw last season.

Josh – Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers (0)

The former Wisconsin Badger has impressed in his first two years as a pro averaging 1,051 yds/9 TDs on the ground while adding 448 yds/3 TDs receiving per season. Gordon has also finished in the top 10 of fantasy backs in both 2016 (RB7) and 2017 (RB5). That’s the kind of elite, consistent production I want from both my first round pick and RB1.

Seth – Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons (+5)

Best RB on the board. His situation is the most stable of all the remaining top tier RBs.

Anthony – Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints (0)

Michael Thomas has been a stud his first two seasons in the NFL. He’s only missed one game in his young career and should be a threat to eclipse 100 catches for the second straight season this year. That consistency was a no-brainer with my first pick. But, if you needed more information, this should seal it for you. Thomas had 11 games last year where he finished as a WR #1 or #2 for the week (2017 WR Chart from @JohnnySlokes). Only DeAndre Hopkins had more with 13 games.

Second Round:

1(13). Anthony – Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons (-2)

I really wanted to pair Melvin Gordon with Michael Thomas at the swing, but since he went to @JoshBrickner at #10, I went with another stud wide receiver to start the second round. Julio Jones got a lot of flak for his touchdown production last season (three), but the five-time Pro Bowl WR still caught 88 passes for 1,444 yards last season. The duo of Thomas and Jones will be deadly.

2(14). Seth – Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars (+1)

Best RB on the board again. I think there’s going to be a LOT of WR value in drafts this year, so I’m happy to take two top-end RBs and wait on WR.

3(15). Josh – A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (-1)

The majority of WRs in the NFL would be ecstatic with a stat line of 75/1,078/8 and a Top 10 (WR10) finish in 2017; for AJ Green this is a down year. Green had a ridiculous 29.3% target share this past season and this trend should continue in 2018 without a strong WR2 on the Bengals’ roster (get real, John Ross truthers). I’ll take a top 10 finish and a 29% target share as the floor for my WR1 all day.

4(16). Michael – Keenan Allen, WR, LA Chargers (-3)

2017’s WR3 in both standard and PPR, his situation is not changing heading into 2018 so there’s no reason to expect him to be outside the top 6 receivers this year.

5(17). Stephen – Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings (-1)

Sign me up for a running back who averaged 24 touches per game prior to his season-ending injury in 2017. Cook is a do-it-all back with the chance to be part of one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL in 2018 with a potential upgrade at QB on the horizon.

6(18). Jay – LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills (-1)

I’m not going to lie, I don’t love this pick. McCoy is entering the dreaded age 30 season for RBs and has a lot of tread on his tires. Although that’s the case, he showed no physical signs of slowing down last year and was the focal point (arguable the only offense) for the Bills. He was the RB7 last year and I think Shady has one more top-10 finish left in him, making him a safe if not spectacular pick.

7(19). Aaron – Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers(+2)

I really don’t like going back-to-back wide receivers at the top of the draft, but Evans is the best player available and is primed for a bounce-back season with a healthy Jameis Winston. I was really hoping that Fournette or Cook would fall to this spot, but since they didn’t, I’m taking another top-tier receiver and hoping I can still find some running back value in Round 3.

8(20). Johnny – Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers (+5)

I was thinking that I was about to get another steal before Aaron took Mike Evans a pick before me. I could have considered another back here with Mark Ingram, Jordan Howard, and Christian McCaffrey still on the board. Davante Adams had (7) WR1 games last year, that’s one less than DeAndre Hopkins, and that was without Aaron Rodgers most of the year. Sure, he is a bit TD-dependent, but he plays with a great QB that I can certainly depend on.

9(21). Jeremy – Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers (+7)

I was eyeballing Tyreek Hill in this spot, but my draft philosophy has always been to take quality RBs early & often. There’s uncertainty in KC as to how the offense will roll with Mahomes behind center, and I know I’ll be getting a PPR machine with McCaffrey. There will be plenty of WR depth available in later rounds. I’m also looking forward to see the Carolina offense flourish under new OC Norv Turner, which should increase CMC’s overall production. I already love my team with a DJ/McCaffrey backfield.

10(22). Matt – Jordan Howard, RB, Chicago Bears (+2)

I’m buying the Chicago offense this season. The coach of the Bears last year (who shall remain nameless) put together some of the least creative game plans that I’ve ever seen. In an underperforming offense, Howard managed an RB14 finish in 2017. There are definitely dud possibilities from Howard, but I felt good that I could get my guy at the top of the third round so I took a shot on him.

11(23). Kyle – Mark Ingram, RB, New Orleans Saints (+3)

It’s crazy how differently Ingram is valued compared to his backfield mate. Ingram is a fantastic pass catcher as well, and I think he’ll be able to add a couple of receiving TDs to his stat line after having 0 in 2017. Think he’ll definitely return the late 2nd round value here.

12(24). Jerry – Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs (-2)

Two DFF mocks in a row I took Tyreek. The emergence of Patrick Mahomes as the starter for the Chiefs is somewhat concerning. Most seem to accept he’s a better gunslinger than Alex Smith ever was. Even if Mahomes does end up being a downgrade in 2018, Tyreek Hill is a player and it shouldn’t matter. I didn’t touch Tyreek in a single league in 2017. In fact I traded him away in my dynasty league of note. I was not buying into the hype. He proved me wrong and I learned my lesson.

Third Round:

1(25). Jerry – Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders (+15)

This was a weird spot for me. There’s a whole bunch of guys in this range that are okay, but none that when I saw his name, I knew that was the guy. The laundry list of names I considered: Alshon Jeffery, Gronk, Barkley, Derrick Henry, Rodgers, Alshon, T.Y. Hilton, Allen Robinson, Jarvis Landry, and Carlos Hyde. I figured I was pretty good at RB with Le’veon, so grabbing another WR incase Tyreek does have a setback with Mahomes was the safer bet. I think Oakland’s struggles were an aberration last year, and as an Amari Cooper truther, I’ve got to presume the explosion occurs soon…2018 sounds like a good time for it.

2(26). Kyle – Jarvis Landry, WR, Miami Dolphins (+12)

I don’t love the pick, but in PPR, I’ll live with it. I just didn’t love the options on the board, so while I’d like more TD potential from my WR1, I’ll take a guy that is probably pretty safe to be in the top 5 of receptions. When Landry is your WR1, you have to hope the TDs that we finally saw in 2017 carry over.

3(27). Matt – Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings (+2)

I’m of the belief that the Vikings take a huge step forward next year in terms of QB play (no offense, Case, I know you’re reading this). Thielen showed reliability this past year, posting 9 startable weeks. The only other consideration I gave here was to Rob Gronkowski, but I think as a WR2, you can do worse than Thielen.

Had Alshon Jeffery not just had shoulder surgery, leaving his status for the beginning of the regular season in question, he’d be the pick here. There were other options I was leaning towards as well, like Gronk or Larry Fitz, but it’s a little too early for those guys. Then there’s Doug Baldwin . . . meh. Gordon is definitely talented and promises to produce at a high level out of the gate, given his strong return to the NFL towards the end of 2017. He’ll be the lead-dog in 2018 and should put up big-time PPR numbers (especially if they can land a top QB via free agency).

5(29). Johnny – Brandin Cooks, WR, New England Patriots (+1)

I was looking to see if there was a back I liked here. Cooks had (6) WR1 games last year but also had (5) games as a WR4 or worse, so it looks like I decided to take more of a rollercoaster-type pick here at WR. That’s something that I will look to counterbalance later with someone a little more consistent. Despite a mini run we had at WR, I still feel like getting Brandin Cooks in the middle of the 3rd is a good value.

6(30). Aaron – Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans (+7)

At this point, I absolutely have to pick a running back. Derrick Henry is not my ideal RB1, but he does have enormous potential heading into 2018. Rumors are swirling that the Titans will part ways with DeMarco Murray, finally allowing Derrick Henry the volume that fantasy owners have been begging for. New offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur helped engineer an offense that allowed Todd Gurley to explode in 2017, let’s hope he has similar results with Henry in Tennessee.

7(31). Jay – Rob Gronkowski, RB, New England Patriots (-12)

If there was a podium for this draft, I’m running to it to select Gronk at this point. The best TE in league history will be back for the 2018 season and will dominate yet again. He does carry injury risks which has led him to contemplate early retirement. However, when on the field, there’s arguably no bigger playmaker, as he’s finished as the TE1 twice and the TE2 in 3 of the last four years.

8(32). Stephen – Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (-12)

At this point of the off season, I couldn’t care less about Jeffery’s surgery, however this could change if he’s not practicing at OTAs or to start training camp. If he and Carson Wentz are both healthy, a season stat line of 85-1250-10 is not out of the question.

9(33). Michael – Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals (-1)

Larry’s confirmed to be playing again in 2018, and standing 91 receptions behind Tony Gonzalez on the all-time receptions list. The expectation is that he will surpass that easily; give me that volume all day long in the 3rd.

10(34). Josh – Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks (0)

Baldwin finished as the WR13 in PPR leagues in what was considered a “down” year for both he and the Seattle offense. Expect the Seahawks to enter 2018 with a renewed focus and energy after missing out on the playoffs for the first time in five years. This will help Baldwin get back to producing Top 10 WR numbers as he did in both 2015 and 2016. He has both a high ceiling and a safe floor which is great for my WR2.

11(35). Seth – Allen Robinson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (maybe) (+7)

I went high upside here for sure, but Allen Robinson is a guy that can deliver that upside. Whether he stays in Jacksonville or leaves in free agency (fingers crossed that my Bears grab him), Robinson is going to bounce back in 2018.

12(36). Anthony – Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State (-9)

With no running backs on my roster at this point, I went with a rookie that has a ton of talent and potential this season. Saquon Barkley will instantly be the three-down back for the team that drafts him. Barkley should flirt with 1,300 total yards of offense and 10 total touchdowns this season.

Fourth Round:

1(37). Anthony – Jay Ajayi, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (-1)

I could have gone several routes here but ultimately went with Jay Ajayi, who has the recipe for a solid season next year. LeGarrette Blount is an unrestricted free agent in 2018, so Ajayi could have the backfield all to himself next season. He will run behind one of the league’s best offensive lines for the entire year, versus half, like last season. Plus, the former Boise State star will have extra motivation this year as well; Ajayi is on the last year of his rookie deal.

2(38). Seth – T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts (+1)

The reason that we do mock drafts as fantasy players is to try out different strategies and see how they may play out during the real deal. This pick is one of those strategies. I wanted to pick Kelce or Ertz here and lock up an elite TE, but I did that last time, so I took the best talent left on the board at WR. Yes, Hilton is a risky pick without knowing Andrew Luck’s status, but I’ll take that risk on a WR that led the league in receiving yards just a couple years ago.

3(39). Josh – Kenyan Drake, RB, Miami Dolphins (+9)

In the eight games after Jay Ajayi was traded to the Eagles, Drake accumulated 123/619/3 rushing while adding 29/232/1 through the air. Project that out for a full season, and you’re talking about getting a top-10 RB to be my RB2. If Drake’s upside wasn’t already tremendous, the entire Dolphins O gets a shot in the arm with franchise QB Ryan Tannehill returning from injury to replace Smokin’ Jay Cutler.

4(40). Michael – Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals (-9)

Mixon flashed at times last year when given the opportunity. There have been reports already that the Bengals are ready to use him like a bell-cow back, Mixon is a gamble, but at this price it’s a good one.

5(41). Stephen – Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs (-8)

What a steal in round 4. Kelce has caught over 80 passes in each of the last two seasons and is a huge difference maker at the TE position. Again, like Hunt, Kelce’s production is tied to Pat Mahomes maturation under center, but I’ll bet on that in the fourth round for sure.

6(42). Jay – Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys (+4)

I think the hate on Dez has gone too far. Yes I get it, he’s no longer the top tier WR1 he was a few years ago as his WR24 finish in 2017 was his highest finish since being WR4 back in 2014. All that said, he’s still the top WR in a good offense that will most likely have positive TD regression with Zeke and Tyron Smith back and Dak growing as a QB. I don’t expect him to finish as a WR1, but with his TD upside, I expect him to bounce back to be a high end WR2.

7(43). Aaron – Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles (-2)

I still feel that my team is weak at running back, but I can’t get behind backs available for a fourth-round pick, and there are a few that I’m hoping will slide a couple more rounds. Gronk and Kelce have recently gone off the board, and I really don’t want to play the Tight End streaming game every week. In my eyes, Ertz is the only other every-week TE. In fact, I actually like him a little bit more than Kelce.

8(44). Johnny – Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings (N/R)

I feel like I got excellent value here with Diggs. While I do see him as a bit of an injury risk, he was at a respectable 13.9 PPR points a game last year. He also showed some TD upside last year as well with a total of 8. Going stud RB followed by WR-WR-WR seems to be pretty ideal to me from most spots in the draft. With Davante Adams, Brandin Cooks, and Stefon Diggs, I should have a solid trio of WRs.

9(45). Jeremy – Carlos Hyde, RB, San Francisco 49ers (-1)

RB was not the direction I planned on going here, but this exemplifies the most important rule of drafting . . . you have to remain fluid. My previous two opponents sniped the two guys I wanted for this pick. I wanted another WR or a high-end TE; Diggs and Ertz were the best picks for me to start rounding out my team, but since they were snatched from my clutches, I took the opportunity to continue stacking RBs. I’ll have plenty of opportunity to concentrate on the deep field of WRs available to me moving forward, while RB is a volatile position. I’m actually ecstatic to have DJ, McCaffrey, and Hyde on my squad here. Gordon will produce for sure. I just need to be vigilant in picking my WRs and finding a quality TE moving forward from this point in the draft. It’s also important to keep in mind that I have three high-end RBs for bargaining chips should I need to make a trade. Someone’s RB is going down (hopefully not mine), and I’ll be there to make a sweet deal with someone who won’t be able to turn it down.

10(46). Matt – Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers (-3)

Never have I ever picked a QB this early. This may be the last time that you see this happen from me throughout this series, but I’m really trying to think outside the box. New year, new me and all… At this point in the draft I’m feeling confident that I have an advantage at QB and WR1 every single week. I’d put my RB1 against most others, and I feel great about the potential volume for my WR2. This was a roster construction experiment, and I like the results so far.

11(47). Kyle – Golden Tate, WR, Detroit Lions (-12)

Both Landry and Tate on the same team isn’t ideal since they have similar strengths and weaknesses. However, I think Tate in the fourth is a solid ‘base hit’ at this spot in the draft. The upside is limited, but you’re not going to get killed by taking Tate as a WR2.

12(48). Jerry – Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay Packers (N/R)

I wanted to take one WR and one RB to round out my team with these back to back picks. This pick was Jordy v. Demaryius Thomas. I’m one of the few people in the community that doesn’t dislike Thomas. Over the last few seasons, the hate on him has gone too far, and he does nothing but drop top 20 seasons year in and year out. Jordy has Aaron Rodgers throwing to him, and he loves to do it in the end zone. Jordy can’t have much left in his illustrious career, but he would be a 2nd-round player if it weren’t for the injury last year. Jordy at the end of the 4th as my WR3/flex option depending on your league? Yeah, I’ll take that all day, every day.

Fifth Round:

1(49). Jerry – Lamar Miller, RB, Houston Texans (N/R)

Honestly, I probably would’ve gone with whatever rookie RB was in the best situation with this pick, but I don’t know who that is yet, so I’ll stick with the polarizing Miller. I’ve got 3 WRs already and only Le’Veon Bell at RB. With a bonafide star in Bell, I’m okay going with a ‘steady-eddie’ type in Lamar Miller. He’s never going to blow up and win me a week, but I know what I can expect. If one of my later picks ends up breaking out, then Lamar would make for a very solid rotational flex option or trade piece. With the top tier of TE’s gone, I didn’t even consider one, and won’t until probably the 8th/9th round turn. I’d probably snag a QB and another RB at my next back to back picks at the end of the 6th/beginning of the 7th round.

2(50). Kyle – JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (N/R)

I went for some upside here after drafting two of the safer options at the position. When I got to this point in the draft, I didn’t love who else was left, but I’m honestly not sure anyone else after has the same upside as Ju-Ju. What we saw from him his rookie season was impressive, and with Ben back in 2018, I like the upside.

3(51). Matt – Pierre Garcon, WR, San Francisco 49ers (N/R)

I was hoping for Smith-Schuster here, but once he was gone I turned my attention to the 49ers receiving corps. I know Jeremy went for the shiny new toy right after me, but I’ll go with the steady presence in Pierre Garcon. Kyle Shanahan isn’t going to put his guy on the backburner. For Garcon’s career, he’s posted startable weekly finishes nearly 57% of his games. I like my WR3 to be stable and have guaranteed targets, and I got that in Garcon.

4(52). Jeremy – Marquise Goodwin, WR, San Francisco 49ers (-5)

No disrespect to my boy @MattJonesTFR, but between Garcon & Goodwin, I’m glad he left me the latter. We saw the sparks fly between Jimmy G and Goodwin when Garoppolo came on board towards the end of 2017 season. Their rapport is undeniable. I agree with Matt’s take on Garcon, he will be an asset to your fantasy squad in 2018. I just like what I saw with my eyes last year and expect to be seeing much more of it in the upcoming season.

5(53). Johnny –Chris Thompson, RB, Washington Redskins (N/R)

Remember how awesome he was before he got hurt? Chris finished as the RB24 in PPR leagues last year in only 10 games played. I don’t really like doing this a whole lot, but if you take Chris Thompson’s 15.1 fantasy points a game and project it for a full season, he would have finished as the RB11. Now, with Alex Smith at the helm, there could be many opportunities for short dump-offs, and the Redskins offensive line should be healthy next year too. This might have been a bit of a reach but this is the time of the draft where I start to stockpile running backs, especially ones that have the receiving prowess that CT has.

6(54). Aaron – Alex Collins, RB, Baltimore Ravens (N/R)

Alex Collins is one of the running backs I was targeting when I passed on the position in the fourth round. In 2017 Collins seemed to get better and better as the season progressed, eventually taking a stranglehold on the Ravens’ starting running back position. He averaged an impressive 4.6 yards per carry last year and has plenty of gas left in the tank as he enters his third NFL season.

7(55). Jay – Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots (N/R)

If the draft really fell to me this way with OBJ, Shady, Gronk, and Dez as my earlier selections, I completed a roster which would’ve made me a lot of money in 2014 by selecting Brady. Jokes aside, each of these players are still productive if not elite at their positions. With my current roster and the remaining players left on the board, I felt like grabbing another top-end player at his position rather than going with a high risk/reward player or a low upside player. We can all agree after watching the Super Bowl (505 yards, 3 TDs), old man Brady is defying father time and comes into 2018 still playing at the top of his game. Expect more of the same especially with his safety valve, Julian Edelman, back in 2018.

8(56). Stephen – Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos(N/R)

The Broncos realize they have an issue at QB which should be addressed in the off-season. Even with those QB issues in 2017, Thomas saw 140 targets for the sixth straight season. He set five-year lows in receptions and yardage, but should rebound in 2018 for at least 80 receptions and 1,000 yards. I’ll be happy to have that on my team in the fifth round. Pending a new quarterback in Denver coming out of the draft or free agency, Thomas may be long gone this time next month.

9(57). Michael – Duke Johnson, RB, Browns (N/R)

I have drafted Duke every year since he entered the league, and I’m not stopping now. Johnson was the RB11 in 2017 despite being well behind Isaiah Crowell in carries, with just 82 carries to Crowell’s 206. Duke did, however, amass an incredible 74 receptions on 93 targets. With Crowell likely to move teams and the Browns set to improve at the QB position, Duke Johnson is about to ascend!

10(58). Josh – Dion Lewis, RB, New England Patriots (for now) (N/R)

In any league where you start 2 RBs, 2 WRs, and a Flex, I usually lean towards picking a third RB ahead of a third WR due to the scarcity of the position. In the last eight games of the season, Lewis did it all for the Patriots. He totaled 625 yards and four TDs rushing, added 22/156/3 through the air, and even brought back a kickoff for a TD. The former Pitt Panther is a free agent this offseason and the tea leaves point to Lewis leaving NE. Personally, I’d love to see him exit the Bill Belichick Fantasy RB House of Horrors.

11(59). Seth – Evan Engram, TE, New York Giants (N/R)

For my last pick, I debated taking Kelce or Ertz to lock up the TE position. Instead, I took Hilton to pair with Allen Robinson for a high-risk, high-reward WR duo. Engram falling to me here makes me feel a lot better about that decision because while Engram is not in the same tier as Kelce and Ertz, he’s pretty close, especially in PPR. I like how this turned out.

12(60). Anthony – Marvin Jones, WR, Detroit Lions (N/R)

As the third WR on my team (Michael Thomas, Julio Jones) and possible flex option, Marvin Jones was a solid pick to end the fifth. Since entering the league in 2012, Jones’ yardage total has gone up each season. Last season, Jones caught 9 touchdowns and gained over 1,100 yards. That was good enough to finish as a top 15 wide receiver in 2017. Teammate Golden Tate will get the spotlight and praise, but Jones offers the best value.